South Carolina § 34-28-110 - Name of an association.

§ 34-28-110. Name of an association.

(1) The name of every association shall include either the words "building and loan association", "savings and loan association", or "savings bank". These words must be preceded by an appropriate descriptive word or words approved by the Board. An ordinal number may not be used as a single descriptive word in the association's name immediately preceding the words "savings association", "savings and loan association", or "savings bank" unless the words are followed by the words "of __________," the blank being filled by the name of the community, town, city, county, or state in which the association has its home office. The use of the words "National", "United States", "insured", or "guaranteed", separately or in any combination thereof with other words or syllables, is prohibited as part of the corporate name of an association. No certificate of incorporation of a proposed association having the same name as a corporation authorized to do business under the laws of this State or a name so nearly resembling it as to be likely to deceive or cause confusion in the mind of the public with any other financial depository institution in this State may be approved by the Board, except for an association formed by the reincorporation, reorganization, conversion, or consolidation of the other financial depository institution with the proposed association or upon the sale of all or substantially all the property and franchise of the other financial institution to the proposed association. Nothing herein may be construed to require or cause any association doing business to change its name from the way it exists on April 1, 1985. In addition to meeting the requirements of this subsection, the name of a stock-owned association must also comply with Section 34-28-130(1)(a).

(2) No person, unless he or it is lawfully authorized to do business in this State under the provisions of this chapter and actually is engaged in carrying on a savings association business, shall do business under any name or title which contains the terms "savings association", "savings and loan association", "savings bank", "building and loan association", "building association", or any combination employing either or both of the words "building" or "loan" with one or more of the words "saving" or "savings", or words of similar import, with one or more of the words "association", "institution", "society", "company", "fund", or "corporation", or words of similar import, or use any name or sign or circulate or use any letterhead, billhead, circular, or paper whatever, or advertise or represent in any manner which indicates or reasonably implies that his business is the character or kind of business carried on or transacted by an association or which is likely to lead any person to believe that his business is that of an association; however, the words "saving", "savings", "company", or "corporation", or the plural of any thereof, may be used by, and in the corporate or other name or title of, any company which is or becomes a savings and loan holding company pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or regulations of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. Upon application by the Board or any association, a court of competent jurisdiction may issue an injunction to restrain any person from violating or continuing to violate any of the foregoing provisions of this subsection. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction must be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, and each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense. The prohibitions of this subsection shall not apply to any corporation or association formed for the purpose of promoting the interests of associations, their officers, or other representatives.

HISTORY: 1985 Act No. 124, SECTION 1.